Serious safari fans and anyone looking for a truly wild bush experience with luxury thrown in.
In the Ruaha National Park, southern Tanzania, a short plane hop from Dar es Salaam.
Mwagusi’s public rooms are extravagant straw structures filled with decorative touches from natural materials - a dazzling variety of horns, skulls, snakeskins, pebbles and seed pods fill every surface. Each bedroom consists of a spacious tent sheltered by a cooling thatch roof and set on a polished red floor. Each has en-suite facilities with flushing toilet, an unlimited supply of hot water, shower, sink, shelving, a large mirror and good night-time lighting.
The day starts with tea or coffee delivered to your tent, and the huge post-game-drive breakfast can be eaten in camp or as a picnic in the bush. Lunch is a spread of salads, cold meats and breads and dinner is an outdoor buffet of vegetables, casseroles and meat or chicken dishes. Adjacent to the main dining is the reading room – equipped with table and chairs, a comfortable seating area and shelving with reading books.
Mwagusi offers game drives in open-sided safari vehicles with expert guides. Large herds of elephant and buffalo are a common sighting and lion and leopard are abundant. Ruaha also provides a safe haven for rarer species such as African wild dog and the elusive striped hyena. Guided 2-3 hour walks, great for birdwatchers, are accompanied by an armed ranger.
Take a guided walk on the dry Ruaha river bed first thing in the morning and learn the different tracks of the animals who passed by in the night – fascinating.